Jamari Thomas sparks Hillcrest past Bremen
Perfectly suited to his role, senior point guard Jamari Thomas enjoys taking over Hillcrest.
The 5-foot-7 Thomas has always been an unselfish talent. He doesn’t care about scoring or producing offense on his own. He continually looks for the best way to prepare his teammates.
“The acting is not rocket science,” Thomas said of directing the show. “I’ve been a facilitator since I was little. I started playing when I was 4 years old and I’ve always been that playmaker.
“I enjoyed setting others up and helping them get theirs.”
Thomas provided that helping hand again Tuesday night, scoring eight points with six assists and four steals for the host Hawks in a 70-40 South Suburban Blue victory over Bremen.
Senior guard Jamir Ratliff had 25 points, five rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot for Hillcrest (15-7, 9-0), which allowed nine different players to get on the scoresheet with points.
Senior guard Kishawn Gantt made a pair of 3-pointers and scored a game-high 14 points for Bremen (11-16, 6-5). Senior guard Josh Johnson added 11 points.
The combination of Thomas’ ball pressure and that ability to create shots for his teammates sparked the Hawks’ two-way offense.
“I’ve been playing with Jamari for a long time and he’s a really good facilitator and creator,” Ratliff said. “He doesn’t say much and is sometimes nonchalant.
“But he really knows how to look for you and find me in good places.”
Thomas exemplifies one of the first rules of being a point guard: acting as an on-court extension of coach Don Houston.
“He’s a pure point guard,” Houston said of Thomas. “It is our engine that brings us into what we must enter into. It finds not only the first man but also the second and even the third man.
“He controls the tempo and he plays solid defense, so he plays well on both ends.”
Thomas created the perfect storm early with two 3-pointers while adding three assists and two steals as Hillcrest took a 14-point lead in the first quarter.
The Roosevelt football recruit demonstrates the same energy, toughness and belief when playing running back for Hillcrest.
“Football improves my skills, intensity and fitness and helps me improve my speed and quickness,” he said. “I love to compete and play really hard, whatever the sport.”
In basketball, Thomas remains a force of energy who likes to get into the passing lanes and take away what the other team does best.
“I think I’m really disruptive and a great defender on the ball,” he said.
Houston believes opposing teams are making a big mistake by underestimating Thomas because of his size.
“I’ve coached a lot of small guards and seen them do a lot of good things,” Houston said. “He’s very good in his size because he makes good decisions and doesn’t turn the ball over.”
Thomas is atypical in another respect as a floor leader, given his naturally calm and self-effacing demeanor.
“I let my game do the talking,” he said. “I get excited and motivated in other ways, like listening to music. Lil Durk is my favorite artist. I listen to him and he gives me inspiration.
“I take what he says, I go out, I visualize it and I make it happen on the field.”
Thomas has been doing this since he took over the starting point guard job midway through his sophomore year.
“He’s so underrated and he’s the key to what we do,” Houston said. “I’m going to miss him.”
But for now, Thomas loves being an option quarterback on the basketball court.
“I never feel pressure or anything,” Thomas said. “My role has remained pretty much the same, even though the players around me have changed. Having the ball is what I was supposed to do.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
